Charles Toll Hansen Van Patten was born on October 25, 1814 in Fonda,
Montgomery Co., New York and died on April 9, 1886. He was a graduate of
Harvard; a dentist as well as a naturalist of note who spent years in Costa Rica
doing a study of plants and birds on behalf of the Smithsonian Institute. He
also sold a large collection to France in later years. He was a confidant of
President Martin Van Buren with whom he spoke Dutch to the consternation of
White House associates ('Secret Service'). Many letters to members of his
family have been preserved.
In 1840, Charles married Amelia Caroline Harper who was born about 1820 in
Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania and died in September of 1865 in Corinito,
Nicauragua. Amelia is a decendant of John Harper who came with the Quakers
in the ship, "Welcome" from England in 1681 and settled in Frankford, now a
part of Philadelphia. The Harper ancestry is traced back to 965. Their
daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Van Patten, when only fourteen (1858) was the first
American girl to cross Central America on horseback. Sarah married Dr.
Prosper H. Ellsworth but that's another biography. (see Wildwood)
After Amelia died in 1865 in Nicauragua, Charles married about 1872, Catalina
(Boniffo) Guardia of San Jose, Costa Rica, a wealthy widow and great-aunt of
a recent president of Costa Rica, Calderon Guardia. Through their son,
Santiago, the Van Patten name still lives on strongly in Costa Rica, Central
America.
Montgomery Co., New York and died on April 9, 1886. He was a graduate of
Harvard; a dentist as well as a naturalist of note who spent years in Costa Rica
doing a study of plants and birds on behalf of the Smithsonian Institute. He
also sold a large collection to France in later years. He was a confidant of
President Martin Van Buren with whom he spoke Dutch to the consternation of
White House associates ('Secret Service'). Many letters to members of his
family have been preserved.
In 1840, Charles married Amelia Caroline Harper who was born about 1820 in
Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania and died in September of 1865 in Corinito,
Nicauragua. Amelia is a decendant of John Harper who came with the Quakers
in the ship, "Welcome" from England in 1681 and settled in Frankford, now a
part of Philadelphia. The Harper ancestry is traced back to 965. Their
daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Van Patten, when only fourteen (1858) was the first
American girl to cross Central America on horseback. Sarah married Dr.
Prosper H. Ellsworth but that's another biography. (see Wildwood)
After Amelia died in 1865 in Nicauragua, Charles married about 1872, Catalina
(Boniffo) Guardia of San Jose, Costa Rica, a wealthy widow and great-aunt of
a recent president of Costa Rica, Calderon Guardia. Through their son,
Santiago, the Van Patten name still lives on strongly in Costa Rica, Central
America.
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| Charles Toll Hansen Van Petten, DDS 25 October 1814 - 9 April 1886 |
